Virginia Completes Deals With Amtrak, CSX To Expand Rail Service

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam joined top federal and private sector officials at the train station in Alexandria Tuesday to celebrate the completion of landmark agreements with Amtrak, CSX and Virginia Railway Express.

The agreements between Virginia, the federal government and CSX include a $3.7 billion investment to reduce congestion on passenger, commuter and freight rail lines across the state.

The investment will support the construction of a $1.9 billion bridge over the Potomac River dedicated to passenger rail, the acquisition of 386 miles of railroad right-of-way and 223 miles of track from CSX, and an investment of more than $1 billion in additional infrastructure improvements by Virginia.

The goal of the unique agreement with Jacksonville, Florida-based CSX is to expand Amtrak and VRE services in Virginia and create a way to separate freight and passenger rail in Virginia in order to speed rail service.

Northam was joined Tuesday morning by U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), as well as the heads of Amtrak and CSX for the official ceremony to execute the agreements.

“This historic initiative will help get people and goods where they need to go more efficiently, reduce congestion and pollution, and create a more inclusive economy,” Northam said. “Together with our partners at Amtrak, CSX, and VRE, we are making critical investments that will fundamentally transform our transportation infrastructure, delivering long-term economic benefits for our workers and communities as we rebound from the pandemic and into the future.”

Over the next 10 years, the agreements will aim to:

• Double Virginia-supported Amtrak trains providing nearly hourly service.
• Increase VRE commuter service by 60 percent.
• Lay the foundation for a Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor.
• Preserve an existing freight corridor between Doswell and Clifton Forge for future east-west passenger service.
• Create the potential to expand rail to all parts of Virginia.

In his comments, Buttigieg noted that the American Rescue Plan, recently passed by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden, includes $1.7 billion to restore daily long-distance service and help states cover lost revenue in state-supported routes.

SEE ALSO: New VA Railway Agreement To Boost Amtrak, VRE Service

Northern Virginia is at the "crossroads of the mid-Atlantic rail network, where the existing Long Bridge is the only rail bridge connecting Virginia to Washington, D.C., creating a choke point for rail traffic between the Southeast and Northeast,” Beyer said in his comments.

"This project is estimated to bring nearly $6 billion annually in benefits to the region by 2040 and is a key component of Transforming Rail in Virginia," the congressman said. "That is the kind of progress we need to rebuild the nation’s infrastructure and create jobs, and I’m grateful for everyone who came together to make it a reality.”

Amtrak made a $944 million commitment over the next decade to the Transforming Rail in Virginia program. In addition, the state and Amtrak are entering into a long-term partnership for six new state-supported daily round trips, and Amtrak will be Virginia’s exclusive provider of intercity passenger rail service along the I-95 corridor for at least 30 years.

The Transforming Rail in Virginia initiative will tackle growing traffic congestion in the state. The population of Virginia is expected to grow from 8.5 million to 10 million over the next 25 years, with 20 percent of that growth expected in Northern Virginia.

The National Landing Business Improvement District in Arlington, home to the new Amazon headquarters on the East Coast, applauded the completion of the rail agreements.

"At the National Landing BID, we couldn’t be more excited that Virginia has finalized agreements with Amtrak, CSX and Virginia Railway Express to expand, improve and better connect rail service in the Commonwealth," Tracy Sayegh Gabriel, president and executive director of the National Landing BID, said in a statement.

"This significant investment exemplifies the much-needed commitment to prioritize transportation access and modernize our infrastructure network," Gabriel said.

A recent study of I-95 found that adding just one lane in each direction for 50 miles would cost $12.5 billion, and by the time construction was completed in 10 years, the corridor would be as congested as it is today. This finding is what led Virginia to look to improving rail service, which can be provided at a third of the cost.

The new, Virginia-owned, two-track Long Bridge will be built across the Potomac River adjacent to the CSX freight bridge and will be dedicated to passenger and commuter rail.

South of the new Long Bridge, Virginia will acquire half of the rail corridor right-of-way from Washington, D.C., to Petersburg, the full extent of CSX ownership from Petersburg to Ridgeway, North Carolina, and the entire corridor from Doswell to Clifton Forge.

With the exception of Ashland, the right-of-way from Washington to Richmond is wide enough to construct a four-track corridor, with two tracks dedicated to passenger rail, and when fully built out will allow separate passenger and freight movement.

In 2020, the Virginia General Assembly passed a bill creating the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority to manage and govern statewide passenger and commuter rail service. The VRPA will administer all capital expansion projects, infrastructure, and land acquisitions related to the Transforming Rail in Virginia initiative.